H. B. 3150


(By Delegates Fleischauer, Phillips,

Barker, Martin, Klempa, Staggers, Brown,

Talbott, Beach, Lawrence and Hall)


[Introduced March 16, 2009; referred to the

Committee on Education then Finance.]



A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §18-5-48, relating to county boards of education; requiring that transportation to and from school be provided for each child that needs or desires transportation; requiring that each board establish and observe strict transportation schedules for its bussing students; and requiring that new routes scheduled limit the periods of travel.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated §18-5-48, to read as follows:

ARTICLE 5. COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION.

§18-5-48. Duty of the county board of education to provide and adhere to reasonable transportation schedules.

(a) Beginning the school year 2009-2010 and continuing thereafter, each county board of education shall provide transportation to and from school for each school child in the county that needs or desires transportation.
(b) Beginning the school year 2010-2011 and continuing thereafter, each county board of education shall establish, maintain and adhere to schedules for the transportation of students to and from school. Those schedules shall set forth the times for picking up and dropping off students. In no event may a board create a new bus route in which the times allotted between initial pick up and final drop off of any student exceed the following times:
(1) For middle school students, forty-five minutes; and
(2) For high school students, sixty minutes.


NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require school boards to set and maintain reliable bussing schedules for bussing students and to limit the duration of travel for the students, based upon their age group.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.